


New Perspective

by rukatsukinagatan



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, Fluffy, M/M, also if u dont like leozumi dw it's not a big part, give this ship a chance trust me, good shit, most from tsukasa's pov but a couple chapters are from mitsu so i hope that doesnt bother anyone, two very sweet boys develop crushes on each other i mean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-07-20 15:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19994569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rukatsukinagatan/pseuds/rukatsukinagatan
Summary: Tsukasa has had to deal with a lot, being the heir of an immensely wealthy family. Somehow feelings and how to deal with them never came up, which has somehow made falling for a certain runner one of the more terrifying things he's done.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you already ship mitsukasa, hello fellow intellectual! If not I hope this fic allows you to see the light bc i'm obsessed but no one else is >:(

Tsukasa couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment he became interested in Mitsuru romantically, but Mitsuru as a person and as an idol had interested him for a long time. The first few days in school Tsukasa dismissed him as an airheaded, hyperactive child who he would rather not be seen with, but after Ra*bits had gained some traction, it was hard not to notice him on stage at least. 

While backstage at a particular performance, it all hit him at once. First, it was the dancing. A cute performance with more than meets the eye, footwork and transitions Tsukasa thought looked hard to pull off that Mitsuru made look effortless. Even among his matching teammates, Mitsuru stood out, powerful and bursting with energy. 

Then it was his stage presence, his smile intact throughout the performance despite how tiring it must have been. It wasn’t a fake smile an idol might put on just for the sake of smiling, but it was genuine, he was enjoying himself. He took any opportunity to wave to the crowd, he entertained his unit mates with affectionate gestures, it got to a point where Tsukasa could only look at him, wanting to take in everything he did.

And of course his singing voice. It was everything Tsukasa thought Mitsuru wasn’t; mature, powerful, technical. it stood out among his unit mates’ higher registers. Despite that, he could make it work. It was his voice after all, and he knew how to use it, singing in a style to match the cutesy energy of the performance.

Tsukasa could only stare at Mitsuru as Ra*bits walked backstage. He was so good, one of the best idols he had seen, and yet he never gave him the time of day. Even after dancing vigorously for twenty minutes straight he was still smiling and laughing as if he had all the energy in the world. 

Tsukasa had never really cared for “cute” things, but now he found the word playing in his head over and over.

He was snapped out of his daze rather violently when Izumi roughly smacked his shoulder, “Kasa-kun! I said walk, we’re up.”

He nodded, apologizing as he walked toward the stage. He told himself he would talk to Mitsuru in class tomorrow, compliment him properly. It was the right thing to do, after all, and Mitsuru’s always telling everyone else how great they do on stage.

Tsukasa began to feel a little bad when he realized he’s never complimented Mitsuru on a performance before, but was quickly taken out of that thought by the synth blaring from the speakers. 

‘ _Dance now, talk to Tenma-kun tomorrow._ ’ He thought, trying to put the thoughts away once and for all. He had already gotten on Izumi’s nerves once today, and he really didn’t want to do that again.

Luckily all went well. They hung out a little more before Tsukasa’s driver came to pick him up. He said his goodbyes, went home, had dinner, and finally went up to his room to get ready for bed.

It was when he was lying on his bed, room dark and silent, that he remembered what he told himself earlier, ‘ _I want to let Tenma-kun know I liked the performance._ ’ It was polite, after all. He wondered briefly if he should talk to his other classmates about their own shows before he realized he didn’t really remembered who else performed.

His face burned a little at that realization, had Mitsuru been that distracting? Maybe distracting wasn’t the right word, but it was the least embarrassing word Tsukasa cared to come up with. To be fair, it was a really good performance, he wondered if every Ra*bits show was that good? The members certainly complimented each other, but the way Mitsuru performed was unmatched, he really made it worthwhile to watch.

Tsukasa’s head lazily lolled to the side, which is when he caught a glimpse of his alarm clock. ‘ _Almost midnight…_ ’ Tsukasa was usually able to drift off to sleep pretty easily. ‘ _It was a really good performance,_ ’ He tried justifying himself, but was that all? Even during his days as a Knights fanboy he was never on his computer past midnight gushing over them. It was all the more embarrassing that he didn’t even have a computer to look at Mitsuru with, it was all in his head, the memories clear as day.

He turned to lay on his side and pulled the blanket close, ‘ _How conceited am I!? I decide I want to tell a classmate “good job,” and it keeps me up? How unsightly…_ ’ This kind of thing came so easily to Mitsuru. Tsukasa remembers being praised for the smallest things, like simple English phrases, how organized his school binder was, or how he arranged a chess board. For someone so simple, Mitsuru really does notice everything, thought Tsukasa. 

Lost in thought about what he wanted to say, Tsukasa finally found himself drifting to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for checking out this work!!! I'm v passionate about this ship so hopefully I do them justice...


	2. Chapter 2

Tsukasa was always early to class, preferring to get his things set up before his classmates could cause too much chaos. Unfortunately in his rush to leave this morning (he wasn’t sure why he was so eager (yes he was)), he left his pencil case on his desk at home. No big deal, he could ask the teacher for a pen whenever he came in.

Students generally began coming in ten minutes before class, even Mitsuru, who Tsukasa would have guessed didn’t really care for school. He saw Mitsuru in class everyday though, and noticed he would ask Sora or Hajime for help after school, so maybe he had been too quick to judge.

Among the small crowd he noticed Mitsuru coming in, Sora at his side, the two excitedly talking about something. 

Right, he and Sora were close friends. They’re both excitable and a little air-headed, so it’s no wonder they get along. Tsukasa probably seemed cold compared to someone like Sora, but it’s not like Mitsuru seemed to mind. They didn’t talk much, but Mitsuru never really treats anyone differently.

‘ _Now’s your chance._ ’ Tsukasa thought to himself, although he found he was making no effort to move, stuck staring at the two as Sora sat at his desk and Mitsuru stood across from him. He could make out the conversation a little if he focused, something about buying bread during lunch and saving some for practice later. 

Tsukasa remembered something about bread, Mitsuru sometimes carrying an armful of it after lunch. Tsukasa wasn’t sure how someone could love something so plain that much, but he supposed it wasn’t bad to like simple things.

The teacher walked in, “Class is in three minutes, be at your desk by then.” Three minutes, would that be enough? ‘ _Of course it’s enough, all I want to do is tell him I liked the show._ ’ He was about to brace himself to stand up and politely interrupt before someone had walked up to his desk. 

Lo and behold, it was Mitsuru Tenma himself, almost like he just read Tsukasa’s mind, “Tsukasa-chan!”

“Oh! Um, good morning, Tenma-kun,” He said, trying to sound polite despite being caught off guard, “Did you need something?”

“Sora-chan said he saw you looking at me, he thought you might want something!” He said cheerfully. What was he even so cheerful for? It’s not like Tsukasa was a close friend, that should be a bother more than anything.

“Is that so?” He asked, wondering if he was really that obvious, “Actually, I…” That thought began bothering him. Why would Sora of all people assume that? He glanced at the clock, he barely had two minutes. Should he really just say “you did good” and leave it at that? He wanted to say more, but maybe that was too much? Why is giving a simple compliment suddenly so hard?

“Tsuka~sa-chan!” He was drawn back to Earth when Mitsuru tapped the tip of Tsukasa’s nose with his finger, “You look kind of spacey. Hajime-chan gets that way too, though ♪”

“Spacey?” He blinked. That’s the first time he’d been called that, he’s usually so focused. He looked at the clock again, ‘ _I’ll have to tell him later,_ ’ He thought, before clearing his throat and coming up with an excuse, “Do you have a pen? I’ve left my pencil case at home, it seems.”

“Really?” Mitsuru asked, “Even someone like Tsukasa-chan gets that way, huh?” Before Tsukasa could ask what he meant by that, Mitsuru was digging through his backpack. He pulled out a light purple pen, “I have a lot of Hajime-chan and Tomochan’s pens, since I forget mine a lot! You can just give this back to one of them when you’re done.”

Tsukasa nodded, “I see, I don’t really see them much though, would it be alright if I just returned it to you?”

“Sure!” Mitsuru agreed, and Tsukasa silently celebrated the fact that he’d have another chance to talk to him, “I’m going to the school store to grab lunch, do you wanna come with me?”

Tsukasa thought they would only meet up for a second so he could give the pen back, and was surprised at the invitation, “That sounds nice,” He agreed, “I don’t think we’ve ever had lunch together.”

“Nope! I’ve eaten with everyone except you, Tsukasa-chan! You usually go off somewhere else…”

Before Tsukasa could explain himself (or ask when on Earth he had lunch with Tori Himemiya of all people), the bell rang and the teacher gave a last warning for everyone to get to their desks. Mitsuru waved as he left, and it took more willpower than Tsukasa cared to admit to not watch him go back to his desk.

Class went by slowly, Tsukasa had never wanted a lesson to end so badly. When the lunch bell rang he had to make sure he didn’t get up too quickly, in case he seemed too eager. 

Luckily Mitsuru was already bounding towards him, “Ya~y! Lunch with Tsukasa-chan, I’m so excited~”

“You certainly seem to be,” Tsukasa agreed, “I can’t imagine why, though.”

“Hm?” Mitsuru hummed as they left the classroom, “What’s there not to be excited about? I think you’re really cool, Tsukasa-chan!

“Really?” Tsukasa asked, “I’m afraid not many people seem to think that…”

“Well, I do,” Mitsuru said, “You’re one of the smartest people I know, and you’re a really good performer!”

“Ah!” Tsukasa remembered too loudly, even taking Mitsuru aback slightly, “Tenma-kun, I was watching your performance yesterday. I thought you did really well.”

“Really?” He asked, eyes lighting up, “Thank you, Tsukasa-chan! That means a lot coming from you, you know!”

“Coming from me?” He asked, “It’s not like I’m your superior or anything.”

“Sure, but you’re in Knights! You guys are so much more successful than us, than a lot of the units in this school,” he said, “So hearing you say you enjoyed a Ra*bits performance makes me extra happy!”

“They were popular long before I joined,” Tsukasa informed him, “I’m probably the least liked member out of all of us, so hearing a compliment from me isn’t that special.”

“Sure it is,” Mitsuru said, squeezing his hand lightly, “You’re my friend, I love everything you have to say! And besides,” He smiled brightly, “You’re my favorite member of Knights~” 

Mitsuru let go of his hand as they entered the school shop, and Tsukasa found himself lightly thumbing over the palm with his other hand. It was burning where Mitsuru’s fingers wrapped around it tightly, but not like how when Arashi body touches him, Izumi smacks him, or Leo draws on him. 

Before he could dwell on it too long, he heard Mitsuru calling for him, “Tsukasa-chan, come look with me! We can share some stuff too!”

Tsukasa figured he shouldn’t keep him waiting, and went to go find lunch with him. Admittedly he already had a lunch, someone at his house carefully prepares his meals everyday, but it’s not like he wouldn’t have room for something else.

Mitsuru led him to a shelf full of different types of bread, “This is where I shop!” He proudly proclaimed, gesturing to the baked goods, “They haves lots of different types, and it’s really cheap.”

“I see,” Tsukasa said, picking one of the packages up to look at it, “I didn’t realize there were so many types of bread.”

“Well, you can put anything in bread and it’s good,” Mitsuru said, already carrying an armful, “Some are crispy, some are really soft…” When he had all he could hold, he turned to Tsukasa, “What about you, Tsukasa-chan? Do you come here often?”

“Hm? Well, I do enjoy some snacks.” He replied, “I like to grab some after practice sometimes.”

“That’s right, you eat a lot, don’t you Tsukasa-chan?”

“Huh?”

“That time we went to the restaurant with Yuuchan,” Mitsuru explained, “You got a ton of food, I’ve never met someone with that big an appetite!”

“I-It’s not a bad thing to have a big appetite, right?” Tsukasa stuttered, embarrassed, “Sena-senpai says I’ll get fat, but I can’t help if I’m hungry…”

“I eat a lot too,” Mitsuru said, finally remembering to walk to the counter to pay for his food, “Tomochan once told me he thinks I eat a hundred pieces of bread a day! I don’t think it’s that much, and I end up giving a lot of it to him, but…”

“Well that’s understandable,” Tsukasa said, “You have to carb load for your club sport, no?”

“What?” Mitsuru asked, taking his receipt and shopping bag full of bread.

“Carb loading. For track and field?”

“What’s that mean?” 

“You mean that’s not what you’ve been doing!?”

“Well,” Mitsuru said as they left the store, “What is it?”

“Endurance athletes consume a lot of carbs to help store glycogen in their muscles.” He explained.

“Tsukasa-chan, I’m not smart like you, you know!” Mitsuru whined before taking a bite of bread he just opened. He swallowed, “Explain it simpler!”

“More simply,” Tsukasa corrected, “It helps runners store energy before a race, so that they can go faster and longer without getting tired.”

“Really? Bread can do that?”

“It has carbohydrates, so yes,” Tsukasa said, “So it’s pretty smart of you to eat so much, it’s probably why you’re so good at running.”

Mitsuru gasped lightly, smiling big, “Tsukasa-chan called me smart! The smartest person I know just called me smart~”

“I just said it was smart of you…” Tsukasa realized that sounded kind of mean, but before he could apologize they had reached the classroom and Mitsuru was bounding inside, excited to share his haul with his classmates.

Tsukasa sat at a desk next to him, taking out his own lunch and accepting the bread Mitsuru gave him. He smiled at him as he grabbed it, “Thank you for letting me get lunch with you today, Tenma-kun.”

“Yep!” Mitsuru said, “Let’s do it again sometime, yeah?” 

Looking at the bread in his hand, Tsukasa was hoping that “sometime” would come soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i mentioned mitsuru's probably carb loading my sister said he probably didnt know what that was thus that conversation


	3. Chapter 3

Tsukasa looked over the chess board for the hundredth time, making sure everything was in place. He secretly hoped he’d find something wrong, just so he could fix it to pass the time. For someone so fast, Mitsuru was taking an awfully long time to get here.

That "Sometime" Mitsuru had mentioned had come sooner than he thought, Mitsuru requesting that since he shared something he loved with Tsukasa, Tsukasa shared something back. Mitsuru seemed okay with the idea of Tsukasa teaching him chess, and they both found an afternoon where they weren’t busy.

Tsukasa looked at the clock and silently reprimanded himself. It was only a few minutes, he’s probably running over now. After years of no one his age caring for his favorite hobby, he was naturally a little nervous about showing someone. He didn’t expect Mitsuru to play with him all the time, but he at least hoped he could show him why he liked it so much.

“Tsukasa-cha~n!” He was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard his name called. Mitsuru ran in, quickly taking the seat across from Tsukasa, “Wow, you already got it all set up!”

“Of course,” Tsukasa said, “I believe this is the best way to demonstrate how the game works.”

“If you say so,” Mitsuru said, picking up the pieces, “Wow, they’re really detailed! This one has a little crown, and this one looks like it has a cross on it.”

Tsukasa chuckled at his enthusiasm, “There are some very beautiful chess sets in the world, this game has been cherished for many centuries. I have more at home, but this one is my favorite.”

“That’s really cool,” Mitsuru said, still looking through the pieces, "They have names, right? What’s this one with the carving, and this horse? Bob? Steven? Bob and Steven?”

“No,” Tsukasa said, “Rather than names, they have titles. The one with the carving is called a bishop, and the horse is a knight.”

“Knight?” Mitsuru gasped, “That’s you! This one’s my favorite then~”

“U-Uh,” Tsukasa cleared his throat, already caught off guard by Mitsuru’s casual compliments, “You shouldn’t base it off of name alone. It is an important piece though,” He reached to the knight on his side of the board, “This piece can move any direction, forward, or diagonal,” he explained, demonstrating.

“That sounds useful,” Mitsuru observed, “To get to the king, right?”

“Exactly,” Tsukasa said, “I wasn’t sure you knew anything about chess.”

“Only because you talk about it,” Mitsuru grinned, “Show me the other pieces! Then I want to try!”

Tsukasa nodded, enthusiastically showing Mitsuru each piece and carefully explaining how they move. After a small demonstration, they tried a few rounds. Mitsuru of course lost all of them, but his enthusiasm never seemed to waver. 

“Man, you’re really good!” Mitsuru said, “It’s gonna take forever for me to beat you, Tsukasa-chan.”

“It’s normal to lose the first several rounds you play,” Tsukasa said, “Although I could tell you were paying attention, you made some good moves.”

“I was only copying you, you know,” Mitsuru chuckled, “You’re so smart, and you explained it so well!”

“You say that a lot,” Tsukasa said, “That I’m smart. Is intelligence something you admire in a person?”

“Isn’t it good to be smart?” Mitsuru asked, “I mean, without smart people, we wouldn’t have things like school, or chess, or houses, or cities. If you weren’t so smart, I wouldn’t know about carb loading, or where to hide snacks, or chess!”

Tsukasa chuckled, “I suppose…”

“What about you?” Mitsuru asked, “What do you like in a person?”

Tsukasa leaned back in his chair, thinking, “Strength.” He answered.

“Like someone who exercises a lot?” Mitsuru asked.

“No, more like courage.” He explained, “Someone who can be sure of themselves, and face many challenges.”

“That’s a good trait to have,” Mitsuru agreed, “I wanna be strong then, have lots of courage.”

“I don’t think that’s really a problem for you,” Tsukasa said, “You always just do what you want, you freely share your ideas and feelings, it’s something I’ve always been a little envious of, even when I didn’t know you.”

Mitsuru paused, “You don’t think you’re strong, Tsukasa-chan?”

“Not really,” He admitted, “I want to be. I need to be, for Knights, for my family. But not feeling worried, it’s a really difficult thing. All eyes are on me constantly these days, and I’m scared I won’t be able to keep up.”

“That sounds really hard,” Mitsuru frowned, “I get it though, trying to be the person you need to be.”

“How do you mean?” Tsukasa asked.

“Well,” Mitsuru paused, looking at the scattered chess pieces, “I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, and I was teased a lot. People liked me on the track, but they didn’t like who I was, I guess. So coming to Yumenosaki and making friends is great! Going to a school with such kind people is amazing, but… I always wonder when I’m gonna drive them away, what dumb thing I’m gonna do that will make them decide they don’t want to deal with me anymore.”

Tsukasa looked at Mitsuru quietly, “I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“I guess,” He shifted uncomfortably before chuckling awkwardly, “Sorry, Tsukasa-chan! I’m not really sure why I said all that, it was rude of me since you were telling me about yourself…”

“No, it’s fine,” Tsukasa replied, sitting up, “I’m glad you told me, it’s not good to keep stuff like that bottled up, right?”

“You’re not mad?” Mitsuru asked meekly.

“Of course not,” Tsukasa smiled, “In fact, I’m happy. I’m happy that you trust me enough to tell me that. I really do feel similarly, being raised so strictly, having limited contact with others my age growing up, it can feel difficult knowing when to tell someone what’s wrong and when to just grin and bear it.”

“Hmm, you’re really amazing, Tsukasa-chan!” Tsukasa seemed caught off guard, so Mitsuru continued, “You said you weren’t strong, but happily accepting my feelings like that, giving me your own, I think that takes a lot of strength, a lot of courage…”

Tsukasa blinked a few times before smiling, “I admire the strong because I do not think I am one of them. You’re the one who figured that out, Tenma-kun. You pick up things like dance routines and chess strategies easily, and you’re very good at reading people. You admire the intelligent because you do not think you are one of them, but in certain respects, you’re smarter than most people I know.”

It was Mitsuru’s turn to be caught off guard by the sudden praise. His chair squeaked against the floor as he shot up, cheering as we ran to Tsukasa’s chair and leaned down to hug him tightly.

“T-Tenma-kun!?” He squawked, face pushed up against Mitsuru’s.

“I love you, Tsukasa-chan~” Mitsuru sang, “You keep making me so happy, I’m glad I got to know you.”

Tsukasa nodded the best he could, “You too Tenma-ku-” He choked on his words, quickly pushing Mitsuru back, “Y-You make me happy, that is! Um,” Flustered by nearly telling him he loved him, Tsukasa stood up, “Now, we should clear the table and put the game away, it seems we’re done with it.”

“Okay~” Mitsuru said, picking up the pieces, “But really Tsukasa-chan, thanks for letting me say all that, and for saying what you said to me.”

“Of course,” Tsukasa said, “Thank you as well. While I’ve come to love the nonsense conversations we sometimes have, I found this to be a good experience as well.” 

They cleaned and went their separate ways to go home. Tsukasa decided that just because he was getting to know Mitsuru more, doesn’t mean he’d think about him any less. In fact, the more he learned about him, the more he thought about him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof sorry this got a little ~emo~ i hope it was okay and I hope I got their backstories right lmao
> 
> the thought of mitsuru learning about chess bc of tsukasa is cute and u better believe if I knew shit about chess this chapter would have been much longer, so be thankful I'm a dumbass. 
> 
> also looking at the future chapters I already have written.......this fic is all over the place lol jsyk there's not really a consistent plotline just. two boys fallin in love and i dramatically narrate how they feel. but what can u do i cant play chess and i cant write a consistent story it's just Who I Am


	4. Chapter 4

The moon was high in the sky, and Ra*bits practice had finally ended.

“Good job everyone!” Nazuna praised, slinging his bag over his shoulder, “I’m heading home, what about you guys?”

“Hajime’s in the bathroom,” Tomoya explained, “Me and Mitsuru are just waiting on him.”

“Wish I could wait with you, but I’ve gotta get back home.” Nazuna said, heading out the door, “See you all tomorrow!”

“Bye,” Tomoya and Mitsuru both waved. 

Hajime came back, saying his goodbyes to Nazuna at the door before coming back in, “We shouldn’t be too long,” He said, before looking at Mitsuru, “Ah, Mitsuru-kun, you haven’t changed yet?”

“Huh? Oh!” Mitsuru quickly noticed he was still wearing his now sweaty workout clothes long after practice had ended. He went to his bag, pulling out his deodorant and day clothes, “Sorry Hajime-chan, Tomochan! I guess I was distracted.”

“Yeah you were,” Tomoya said, “You were kind of acting that way all practice, is something wrong?” Mitsuru opened his mouth to answer, but Tomoya quickly interrupted, “And you better not lie..!”

“Nothing’s really wrong,” Mitsuru said before pulling his shirt over his head, “Just...Thinking! I guess.”

“You said you were distracted?” Hajime asked, “Even if nothing’s wrong, We’d like to know what’s on your mind, Mitsuru-kun~”

“Well,” He started, quickly pulling his pants on, “It’s Tsukasa-chan, from my class!”

“We know him,” Tomoya said, “Come to think of it, you’ve been mentioning him a lot lately. I didn’t really think you two would become close, given how he is…”

“He’s not as hard to talk to as he seems!” Mitsuru huffed, “I mean, he’s really smart, and a lot better of an idol than me, but that’s why I’ve wanted to talk to him for a long time.”

“It’s not that I think he’s better than you,” Tomoya sighed, “I just didn’t think he’d be someone you noticed.”

“You fit in well with people like Harukawa-kun and Aoi-kun, so it’s just a little surprising that you’re so interested in Suou-kun.” Hajime commented, “It’s not a bad thing to be friends with lots of different people though, in fact I’m envious…”

“But Hajime-chan, that’s the thing! Tsukasa-chan isn’t that different!” Mitsuru exclaimed, “He seems cold, right? A little stuck up even, but when you actually get to know him, he’s really just like everyone else. He likes games and eating snacks, he likes lots of different singers and TV shows too. He’s really nice, and tries to buy me lots of things when we go to the mall together.”

“Is that why you haven’t been hanging out with us much outside of practice?” Tomoya asked, giving a small smile when he saw Mitsuru frown, “I’m kidding, Mitsuru. I’m glad you’re getting to know who Suou really is. He’s always just seemed like this lonely kid, but I guess leave it to you to bring out his childish side.”

“Next thing you know, Mitsuru-kun will be learning how to play chess from him.” Hajime chirped before glancing at his phone, “I wish we could keep talking about this, but it’s late, we should probably start heading home before our parents worry.”

“Ah, I didn’t realize!” Mitsuru said, picking up his bag, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you two~”

“It’s fine, we were all talking anyway.” Tomoya said, picking up his as well, “Let’s get going.”

Hajime and Tomoya waved goodbye at the gate, Mitsuru’s neighborhood on the opposite side from theirs. As soon as he was gone, Hajime grabbed Tomoya’s arm, a coy smile.

“Hajime?” Tomoya asked, “What’s up?”

“The way Mitsuru was going on about Suou-kun, even saying he was distracted by him the whole time…”

“...You’re not saying what I think you’re saying, right?”

“Tomoya-kun, I think he likes him!” He chuckled, linking his arm with Tomoya’s as they began walking home, “Mitsuru-kun loves a lot of people, but lately with him and Suou-kun...It’s different, right?”

“Maybe,” Tomoya shrugged, “Mitsuru’s kind of difficult to read, but it’s hard to imagine him having feelings like that.”

“He’s just like us, you know,” Hajime said, “He does hide his feelings more sometimes, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”

“That’s true, I guess,” Tomoya said, “I wonder how Suou feels about him. If he keeps inviting him to the mall, that has to be a good sign, right?”

Hajime hummed in agreement, “I hope they both like each other, I think Mitsuru-kun really deserves that kind of thing too.”

Mitsuru was sat on the grassy field within Yumenosaki’s gates rather than walking home, staring at the stars, wondering if he should ask them for help. 

His mind was going five different directions at once, but it all led to the same place. He shyly brought his knees to his chest, one arm wrapped around them, the other on the ground fiddling with the grass. 

Mitsuru knew how to push down sadness, he knew how to hide his fear too. He thought he had it figured out, that he knew how to show only the side he wanted to show to people, and that it would always be simple.

Mitsuru knew what it was like to be lonely, and to act like it doesn’t bother him. It’s awful, and it’s what he saw in Tsukasa when he never joined his class for lunch, or when he played chess alone in the garden terrace. 

“Maybe that was it…” He muttered to himself. After thinking he was alone for so long, that even his closest friends couldn’t have known what he had been through, Tsukasa came. The situation was different, but the walls they put up were similar enough that Mitsuru felt like he could tell Tsukasa anything, things he never told his parents, or Tomoya and Hajime, even Nii-chan. 

He sighed, looking down when his neck got tired, ‘ _Where do I go from here?_ ’ He silently asked the stars, ‘ _I wanna be with him. What if he isn’t the same?_ ’

While Mitsuru pondered about if Tsukasa stayed awake thinking about him, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, “My sister,” he read on the screen, before seeing the time. 

“Ah!” He picked up quickly, “Hey! … Yeah, yeah I’m sorry, I was with Ra*bits, uh,” He stood, rubbing grass off of his pants and slinging his bag over his shoulder, “I’m heading home now. I’ll dash really fast, so I’ll see you soon!”

He took off as soon as he hung up, hoping his sister wouldn’t scold him for coming home so late. It was good that she called, Mitsuru thought, or else he might think of doing something stupid, something to ruin the friendship and trust him and Tsukasa had managed to build so quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yaaaay mitsuru's perspective (new perspective amirite lololol) if you've read any of my other stuff u know i can't just not stick ra*bits somewhere in there. tomoya and hajime speculating if mitsu has a crush ashdkjhda my uwus are EVERYWHERE also this is my chance to get my hc about mitsuru's sister out there, that she's kind of overprotective bc mitsuru tends to do shit like. run into traffic. so. have that.


	5. Chapter 5

Classes had ended, and Tsukasa, timely as ever, is the first to arrive to the Knights practice room. 

Setting his things down, he noticed the front pocket of his bag was open. As he reached forward to close it, he noticed a certain purple pen sticking out…

“Ah, Tenma-kun’s pen…” He said to himself, pulling it out. He hadn’t even used it since the day Mitsuru lent it to him, bringing his own pens from home the next day, but it kept slipping his mind to give it back. 

He looked to the clock, ‘ _Practice doesn’t start for another thirty minutes._ ’ Usually when he got here so early he went for an afternoon snack or practicing any parts of songs that he struggled with on his own. Since he had time, he figured he could find Mitsuru and finally return the pen.

He took his phone out to text him. He was well aware that Mitsuru didn’t really pay attention to his phone, to the extent where he would leave it in his room or in the classroom for days on end, but it was a better shot than having to search every practice room if he didn’t have track today. 

_Tenma-kun, I still have the pen you let me use. I’d like to return it before we forget again. Give me your location and I shall return it to you._

Tsukasa set his phone down, opting to fiddle with the pen while he waited for a response - If it ever came, that is. Knowing Mitsuru, if he didn’t hear back in five minutes he was never going to hear an answer, and he’d just have to remember tomorrow.

Tsukasa jumped when his phone buzzed on the hardwood beside him. He picked it up and saw that, lo and behold, Mitsuru responded!

_You’re at practice, right? You told me you would be! I’ll dash to you I’m close!!!_

Tsukasa smiled at that, ‘ _I really didn’t think he’d respond. I don’t even have to go anywhere._ ’

His thoughts were rudely interrupted when he felt a light kick to his back. He turned his head and looked up to see Izumi staring down at him, “Ah, Sena-senpai!”

“Hey, Kasa-kun,” He said flatly, watching Tsukasa stand up, “What are you doing on the floor over here? If you’re gonna get here early, at least be useful.”

“Ah, my apologizes,” He bowed his head, “I was talking to a classmate. They’ll be stopping by to pick up a pen I borrowed from them.”

“Alright, better not stand around and chit chat though,” Izumi said, “It’ll be irritating if you’re just goofing off while I’m trying to warm up for practice.”

“Of course, Sena-sen-” Before he could finish they heard fast knocking at the door before it opened, Mitsuru poking his head in.

“Tsukasa-chan!” He cheered, dashing towards him, “Ah, Sena-senpai too!”

“Yeah, hi,” Izumi lazily greeted as he walked towards the center of the room, “Just make it quick.”

“Right,” Tsukasa agreed quietly, pulling the pen from his bag, “Tenma-kun, my apologies for always forgetting to give this to you. I should have remembered in class, but instead I had to cal-!”

Tsukasa was cut off when Mitsuru hugged him out of nowhere, arms wrapped tightly around Tsukasa’s upper back, “I don’t mind, you know!” Mitsuru cheered, backing up but keeping his hands on Tsukasa’s shoulders, “I’m glad it gave me another chance to see you today!”

“I—uh—I’m glad you feel that way, Tenma-kun,” Tsukasa stuttered, not expecting the sudden affection, “I’m happy to see you as well..!”

“Good~” Mitsuru chirped, stepping closer as if that was the invitation he was waiting for, “You know, I was just on my way to Ra*bits practice when I started thinking about how I wanted to see you again.”

“You were?” 

Mitsuru nodded, “I like practice, but I really wanna go somewhere with you again soon! Like the shopping district or the park, I also wanna see your house one day, Tsukasa-chan!”

“I-Is that so?” Tsukasa asked before clearing his throat, “Well, I can’t say I don’t think about it too. I’m sure we could arrange for you to come over.”

Mitsuru opened his mouth to respond before being interrupted by a harsh “Hey!”

They looked back to see an irritated Izumi standing up, arms crossed, “If you’re done planning your little rendezvous, can you send your friend on his way?”

“R-R-Rendezvous!?” 

“I guess I should go,” Mitsuru said, finally backing off, “Let me know if I can come over! Or you could even come to my place!”

“I will let you know…” Tsukasa sighed, silently trying to get a hold of himself. When Mitsuru finally left, Tsukasa looked back at Izumi, expecting to see an angry glare. Instead he was greeted by a malicious smile.

“You aren’t usually so touchy-feely, Kasa-kun,” Izumi hummed.

“Wh-What are you implying?” Tsukasa asked, instinctively backing away.

“I’m implying that that kid seemed happy to see you. I didn’t know you went places outside of school, with a friend no less.”

“I am plenty capable at making friends, Sena-senpai!” Tsukasa pouted, “We’ve been going out a lot together, in fact. I do things outside of Knights practice after all…”

“Oh, so it’s not your first date?”

“D-D-DA-” Tsukasa couldn’t bring himself to finish the word, “It’s not like that, Sena-senpai! Tenma-kun offers his time to me, so I shouldn’t reject him, right?”

“Is that all?” Izumi asked, “I thought you would usually say no to those kinds of offers, especially from the likes of him.”

“What does that mean?” Tsukasa huffed, “I’m aware that Tenma-kun seems like someone I would clash with, and I though that too, but he’s been trying to get to know me for whatever reason.” He said, “I think I understand a little though, because now I see that we get along quite well…”

“How so?”

“Well, Tenma-kun is easy to talk to I suppose. He listens surprisingly well, and although he does say a lot of nonsense, he can be very thoughtful…” Tsukasa was smiling without realizing, “He reached out to me in a way that not many people have. I thought it was strange at first, but I’m glad he did.”

He heard Izumi chuckle, “You talk about him like a twelve-year-old girl talking about her first crush you know,” He teased, relishing in how Tsukasa’s face turned as red as his hair, “Kasa-kun, there must be more to this than ‘he takes me to nice places and listens to me.’”

“It’s not like that, I said!” Tsukasa whined.

“Kasa-kun,” Izumi said, “If you like him, just say so. As fun as it is riling you up, it’ll just be more irritating if you go hiding how you feel.”

“Well…” Tsukasa paused, gathering his thoughts. He sighed, “I suppose it could be that. I’ve talked to the other kids in my class, but it’s been different with Tenma-kun.”

“See?” Izumi said, not teasingly to Tsukasa’s surprise, “And the way that kid came in, hugging you, asking to go to your house, I’d say he might also-”

“D-Don’t joke about that!” Tsukasa interrupted. His eyes went wide and he covered his mouth before bowing, “Sorry for interrupting, Sena-senpai!”

“It’ fine—for today—but I’m not joking. Besides, he made it pretty obvious.”

“I guess you’ve seen that kind of thing, yes?” Tsukasa asked.

“What, crushes?”

“Well, you and Leader…”

“Right,” He said, “Those were difficult circumstances, but it was all the same. Wanting to be around each other, him touching me every chance he got, I even started liking some of the dumb shit he did.” Izumi said.

“...Did you think about him a lot?”

“Constantly,” Izumi admitted, “Damn, that’s embarrassing to say. It’s just what people do though, Kasa-kun.”

“I see…” He said, “Um..! If you don’t mind my asking, how did you end up with him? How did you know when it was right to ask him?”

“Cheeky brat,” Izumi spat, out of embarrassment more than anything, “I’ll tell you, I guess. There’s not much to explain though, it’s really not as dramatic as TV makes it out to be,” He said, “We were in his room, laying on his bed. It was stupid late, it’s probably why I did it. I just had a feeling he liked me too, I guess, so I couldn’t stand it anymore, I had to know.”

“Why did you have a feeling?” Tsukasa asked, “That leader is so touchy with everyone...How did you know it was just you?”

“Full of questions today, aren’t we? I dunno, we went out a lot together, just me and him. And no matter how many people he hugged, sat by, or wrote on, he always came back to me in the end.” He said, tone soft, “Like all those people were who he went out to interact with, but he’d always end up by me, like going home after a day out.”

“I see…” Tsukasa sighed, “I’m really not sure, Tenma-kun really is like that with everyone…”

“Yeah, that kid has no fear when it comes to hugging people,” Izumi sighed, “How about what you talk about?”

“What we talk about?”

“Yeah,” Izumi said, “If he likes you, he’ll tell you things he won’t tell anyone else. Admit things like regrets and insecurities, but also talk about all the things they like.”

“Maybe…” Tsukasa said, “I don’t know, I don’t want to worry him if I end up saying the wrong thing.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try, Kasa-kun,” Izumi shrugged, “I don’t know much about your relationship with him, but I’d say take his invitation. Go to his place, be alone in his room, let him know how you feel.”

“And if he doesn't reciprocate?”

“It’s Tenma, you can easily make something up.”

“I wish you wouldn’t speak of him like that…” Tsukasa sighed, but before he could protest anymore, he heard the door to the room open, Arashi and Ritsu walking in.

“Ousama’s either late, or we have to hunt him down again,” Izumi sighed, “Let’s figure that out, I’ll leave the rest of your little problem up to you, Kasa-kun.”

Tsukasa nodded, watching Izumi ask those two where Leo was while trying to think of when his next day off was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Izumi lowkey being best niichan is..........really good....not to jack Nazuna's swag or anything.


	6. Chapter 6

“This way, we’re almost there!”

“Tenma-kun!” Tsukasa whined, “Please do not run ahead so quickly, I’m not as fast as you!”

Mitsuru came to a skidding halt, causing Tsukasa to stop in his tracks and double over, roughly catching his breath. 

“Tsukasa-chan!” Mitsuru said, “Look up, it’s where I live! You wanted to see it, right?”

“Give me a second…” He breathed, wiping at his face with his sleeve before standing up straight. Looking over the building, it was a normal apartment, five or six stories high Tsukasa would guess. “It’s big. I’ve never been in an apartment complex.”

“Never ever?” Mitsuru asked, “Well, you live in a big house, right Tsukasa-chan?”

“It’s not much bigger than this complex,” Tsukasa said (not fully aware of his brag), “But yes, I’ve lived in the same house all my life.”

“Your house is this big?” Mitsuru asked, amazed, “That’s crazy! Me and my family only have a few rooms though. I’ve never lived in a big house, I’ve also stayed in the same place all my life, just like you~”

“I see,” Tsukasa said, “So which room do you live in, then?”

“Room 513!” Mitsuru said, reaching to grab Tsukasa’s hand, “Come up with me so I can show you!” Mitsuru pulled him along and began bounding up the stairs, Tsukasa struggling not to trip over any of the steps and left wondering if there was an elevator in this building.

They got to the door and Mitsuru took out his key to unlock the door to his house, “My parents are still at work by the time I get back, and my siblings have practice, so sometimes I get the house to myself if Ra*bits or track ends early.”

“Ah, you mentioned having siblings, didn’t you Tenma?”

“Yeah, a sister and a brother! They both play sports too…” He explained as he pushed the door open. 

Tsukasa looked around; it wasn’t a huge space, but it wasn’t small either. There was a fair amount of odds and ends scattered about, but he thought it suited Mitsuru somehow. 

“Do you like it?” Mitsuru asked, “I know it’s kinda messy, but with all of us being pretty busy these days it’s hard to keep it tidy sometimes.”

“That’s understandable,” Tsukasa said, “My parents have hired many people to keep our house clean, so I’m used to everything being very organized. However, I do not hate this lifestyle either.”

“Being messy isn’t really our lifestyle, Tsukasa-chan,” Mitsuru said, “Like I said, just busy~” He squeezed Tsukasa’s hand (Tsukasa didn’t realize he was still holding on), “Hey, why don’t we go to my room?”

“Of course,” Tsukasa said, following him closely as they walked down a short hallway. Mitsuru opened the door to his bedroom. 

It was messy as Tsukasa expected, but it wasn’t like it was disgusting, just some clothes and such on floor and an unmade bed. He even had a desk which, to no surprise, didn’t look like he used it very often. It was much smaller than Tsukasa’s own, but he assumed Mitsuru didn’t spend much time here anyway, considering he was out almost all of the time be it at rehearsals or just general running around.

“Do you like it?” Mitsuru asked after Tsukasa stepped inside, “I know there isn’t much to do in here, but I really wanted you to see it!”

“I think it’s nice, it’s… Very you, Tenma-kun.” 

“Ehen~” Mitsuru chuckled, sitting on his bed with Tsukasa following, “I really wanna see Tsukasa-chan’s bedroom too! If your bedroom’s anything like you, it must be really cool.”

Tsukasa chuckled, “You say things like that so easily, Tenma-kun…”

“Like what?”

“Sweet things,” Tsukasa explained, “Things that people have never said to me before.”

“It’s just how I feel,” Mitsuru said, tone calmer than before, “I wanna keep spending time with you, Tsukasa-chan, forever and ever! All the while, I want you to know exactly how I feel.”

“I understand,” Tsukasa said, “I...I want you to know too, but I’m not as good as just saying it as you are. I wish I was though, that would make this a lot easier…” 

“Make what a lot easier?” Mitsuru asked.

“Well,” Tsukasa breathed in, “Lately I’ve been thinking about you more and more, and all the things I wanted to say, but couldn’t. I don’t know if it’s because I’m scared, or embarrassed, or if it’s because I change the words in my head every time, but…”

“You can say it,” Mitsuru said, much quieter than usual. He leaned towards Tsukasa, “It’s just you and me here, right? You’re not saying I embarrass or scare you, right Tsukasa-chan?”

“It’s not you, really,” Tsukasa said, “It’s me, it’s always been me. Growing up without others my age, always putting business and family before any kind of social life, I never thought I’d be confronted with something like this, with someone like you.”

“Well, you’re confronted,” Mitsuru laughed, “Even if it’s hard, I really want you to do your best! I wanna hear Tsukasa-chan’s feelings, because maybe they’ll be like mine?”

“Of course,” Tsukasa nodded, “It’s as I said, I find that I can’t keep my mind off of you, Tenma-kun. After talking it over with my senior and thinking about it, I realized that these feelings I’ve harboured may go beyond friendship. In fact, I know they do.”

Mitsuru only looked at him, eyes a little wider and face a little more red than usual, “More than friends, Tsukasa-chan?”

“Yes,” He confirmed, “I’m sure that’s not what you were expecting, but you wanted to know. So, does it match up with how you feel?”

Mitsuru cracked a wide smile, cheering and hugging Tsukasa tightly, “It does!”

“R-Really!?”

“Yes!” He chuckled. His grip loosened, what was an excited, rush of the moment hug turning into a warm embrace, “I was scared too, Tsukasa-chan, I had never felt this way about someone either. To think you were going through the same thing…”

“I see,” Tsukasa smiled, holding him back, “Well, I suppose we don’t have to worry anymore, right?”

Mitsuru sat up, “Yep! As long as Tsukasa-chan stays by my side like this, I’m never gonna worry again! And if I do, I have you, right?”

“Of course,” Tsukasa said, “I’m your knight, after all~”

Mitsuru giggled, “Yeah! I guess that makes me your rabbit? I’m not sure what a rabbit could do for you though…”

“Keep me company, make me happy, be adorable,” Tsukasa suggested, “You don’t need to be anything you aren’t Tenma-kun. It’s why I like you after all, right?”

“Yeah,” Mitsuru agreed, “You too! Tsukasa-chan is Tsukasa-chan, right? It’s all I need from now on.” He leaned forward to hug him again, “I’m so happy…”

Tsukasa smiled into Mitsuru’s hair, hugging back. He could see past Mitsuru’s head that the sun was already setting, and he briefly wondered if he should head back home. 

He closed his eyes, taking in Mitsuru’s scent rather than worrying about it, ‘ _I’ll tell them I got caught up in something._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got it done before my month long overseas trip hell yeah. If the ending seems rushed it's because it is, I wanted to rewrite it bc I didn't like it and then I just never ended up liking it so I just left it :( But!!! I hope it was enjoyable nonetheless! I recently-ish got into this ship so I hope I did them justice lmao. also lol I just made up shit about Mitsuru's life and i'm casually praying I didn't miss any canon shit lol. Thanks for reading


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